Folding portable house



June 6, 1933 F. sToTzER ET Ay. 1,912,502

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June 6, 1933. F. s'roTzER ET AL FOLDING PORTABLE HOUSE Filed May 6, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Alllnlli lll Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES FRITZ STOTZER AND SIMON NANN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA FOLDING PORTABLE HOUSE Application filed May 6, 1932. Seral No. 609,704.

also with means for rigidly securing the edges of the roof sectors together in abutting, weather-proof, relation, to form a rigld, weather-proof, portable house.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved folding portable house.

Another object is to provide a new and 1mproved device of the character set forth, in which the panels forming the side of the I house, and the roof sectors hingedly connected thereto, may be easily folded into superimposed relation to facilitate transportation and storage.

. A further object is to provide a new and improved folding, portable house, comprising a plurality, or series, of hingedly connected panels, each, with a single exception, having a recess therein, within which recess is hingedly mounted an extendible folding seat, or bench, foldable within said recess and within the connes of its respective panel, whereby said seats may be folded with said panels to facilitate storage and transportation, the single exception panel beingprovided with a hingedly mounted door to provide ingress and egress for said structure, when in extended relation to forman enclosure.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved device of the character set forth, in which improved means are provided for overlapping the abutting edges of roof sectors and for rigidly engaging and holding said sectors in abutting relation to form a rigid roof and thereby rigidly hold said panels in extended relation to form a rigid weather-proof portable house.

A still further object is to provide a new and improved structure of the character described, having a foldable base provided with a shoulder for engaging said panels and retaining the same in extended relation, said base being foldable to facilitate transportation and storage.

A still further object is to provide a folding portable house comprising a plurality, or series, of panels hingedly connected to form an enclosure and having their abutting edges provided with means for excluding the elements. 50

Te accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present application, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts thruout the specification and drawings, and in which- Fig. l is a partly broken front elevation of our improved structure extended, or set up, to form an enclosure;

Fig. 2 is a broken sectional detail takenon line 2 2 of Fig. 3, in the direction indicated;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure, one half being shown in sections at various elevations;

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional detail taken on line i-1l of Fig. 1, in the direction indicated;

Fig. 5 is a broken front elevation of the panels and roof-sectors in superimposed relation, to facilitate transportation and storage, the view showing the inside of the first panel;

Fig. 6 is a broken side elevation of Fig. 5, partly in section;

Fig. 7 is a broken plan view of the fioor,'or base, of the structure; and Y Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view of the folded, or superimposed, panels, disclosing the alternate, or staggered relation of the hinges.

Referring to the drawings A plurality of panels l are hingedly connected at their adjacent edges by means of suitable hinges 2, said hinges being arranged at alternate junctures alternately inside and outside of the structure when extended, the outer hinges 2 being preferably provided with permanently securedl pintles to prevent unauthorized tampering, or entrance, while the inner hinges 2 are preferably provided with removable pintles which operate as a securing, or locking, means accessible only from the inside of the structure, and also providing a means whereby said panels may be disconnected at one or more places to provide one or several units to facilitate storage and transportation.

The abutting edges of alternate panels 1 are provided with longitudinally disposed grooves 8 while the abutting edges of adjacent panels 1 are provided with projecting strips 4; for lengaging said grooves 3, 'when said panels 4 are extended to form an enclosure, whereby said joints may be rendered and maintained weather proof, as disclosed in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

A triangular roof sector 6 is hingedly connected to the top end of each panel 1, and on a line above, and in spaced relation to, its base by means of suitable` hinges v7, whereby said sectors 6 may be moved into extended relation with their respective panels 1, when said panels are in superimposed relation, as disclosed in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

As the hinges 7 are in spaced relation to the bases of said sectors 6, said bases will be extended into overhanging eaves 8 when the panels 1 are extended to form an enclosure and the sectors 6 are moved relatively to said panels 1 to form a pyramidal roof, as disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Each roof sector 6 is further provided. in parallel, spaced relation to the abutting edges of said sectors 6, with inwardly turned, or extending, flanges 9, which flanges 9 are engaged by similar flanges upon preferably metal strips, or members 10, which members 10 overlap said abutting edges of said sectors 6 and thereby form weather-proof joints be tween said sectors, and also serve to rigidly connect said sectors to form a rigid roof, which in turn, will serve to rigidly hold the panels 1 in extended relation to form a house.

A suitable base, or floor 12, is composed of two parts hingedly connected by hinges 14 whereby the same may be folded to facilitate storage and transportation, and is provided with a shoulder 16 arranged in parallel spaced relation to the outer edges thereof,

, anda distance from said edge approximately equal to the thickness of the panels 1, said shoulders 164 being arranged to engage the inner sides of the lower edges of said panels 1, as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 3 of the draw- 55., ings. rlhe floor 12, with its shoulder` 16, is

shaped to conform to the polygon shape of the enclosure formed by the panels 1 when extended, so that said base 12, engaging said panels when extended, serves as a further means for rigidly retaining the structure formed by said extended panels.

All of the panels 1 are each provided with a suitable ventilator 18, preferably at the upper end thereof, and a window 19. Also, each panel 1, with a single exception, is provided with a recess2l within which is mounted a folding, or extendible, seat 22, as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, said seat being foldable entirely within the confines of its respective panel 1, whereby said panels may be moved to superimposed relation without interference from said seats. In the case of the single exception, the panel 1 is provided with a door 23, also provided with a window 19, to provide ingress and egress from the enclosure.

The apex of the roof may be provided with a pinnacle 26 resting upon the upper ends of the roof sectors 6 and the members 10 securing said sectors together. The pinnacle 26 has a depending bolt 27 extending into the interior of the enclosure, which bolt may be engaged by suitable brackets 28 having eyelets in their ends for engaging said bolt 27, whereby Vsaid pinnacle 26 may be moved into rigid engagement with the apex of the roof and thereby not only tend to further assist in rigidly securing said members together, but` also to cover any opening atsaid apex andv thereby prevent the entrance of the elements.

In operation, Vthe pinnacle 26 is first removed, and then the removable pintles at one, or more, joints between the panels 1 are removed and the sectors 6 are extended relatively to the panels 1, as disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6 of thedrawings, and the panels 1 are then moved to superimposed relation, theV seats 22 having been moved within their respective recesses to prevent interference with such movement, as disclosed diagrammatically in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

The fioor, or base, 12 is then folded and placed in juxtaposition with the folded panels 1, as disclosed in dotted lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings. t The several units, or members, may now be bound, or secured, by any suit` able means, vnot shown, and readily trans? ported, or stored.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let' ters Patent is Y 1. A folding portable house comprising a plurality of hingedly connected panels foldable intosuperimposed relation and extendible to form an enclosure; a triangular roof sector hingedly connected to the topof each panel and movable into extended relationY therewith when said panels are superimposed, to facilitate transportation and storage, and movable into edgelabutting relation with each other, when said panels are extended, to form a'roof over said enclosure, said sectors cach having an inwardly turned flange arranged in spaced relation with each abutting edge thereof; and securing members overlapping said abutting edges and engaging the flanges thereof to form a weather-proof joint and to rigidly secure said sectors together to form a rigid roof.

2. A folding portable house comprising a plurality 'of hingedly connected panels foldable into superimposed relation and extendible to form an enclosure; a triangular roof sector hingedly connected to the top of each panel and movable into extended relation therewith when said panels are superimposed, to facilitate transportation and storage, and movable into edge-abutting relation with each other, when said panels are extended, to form a roof over said enclosure, said sectors each having an inwardly turned flange arranged in spaced relation with each abutting edge thereof; securing members overlapping said abutting edges and engaging the flanges thereof to form a weather-proof joint and to rigidly secure said sectors together to form a rigid roof; and a pinnacle mounted upon the junction of said securing members to form a weather-proof apex for said roof.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our signatures.

FRITZ STOTZER. SIMON NANN. 

